What is Art?
This is a big question, however, one explanation would be to say that art is the way in which we can express our ideas in a creative way: painting, or sculpting or taking a photograph. For example, many great painters will try to get across important ideas in their pictures.
The Creative Arts Faculty successfully incorporates Art and Design Technology, Media and Performing Arts.
Creative Arts celebrates its Art Mark Gold status. Art and Design is a vibrant, dynamic and flourishing Department. Located at the heart of the school, the department comprises five newly refurbished teaching rooms each resourced with cutting edge facilities to ensure pupils are well equipped to succeed. The emphasis is on supporting and guiding creative work in the visual arts; painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media disciplines, incorporating collaborative national and international study trips as part of students development to London and Barcelona. Students are encouraged to experience all aspects of the arts through artist in residence workshops, exhibition visits, location drawing, community arts projects and annual art exhibitions.
Post 16
The AQA Fine Art course is offered at AS and A Level. At AS there are two units of work; an internally set coursework unit and an externally set unit that includes a five hour development controlled exam. The structure is repeated at A2. The externally set unit at A2 culminates in a fifteen hour controlled examination.
The Year 12 course consists of an initial workshop programme enabling students to develop skills, knowledge and experience of diverse media, techniques and processes before embarking on a personal project. This is delivered alongside a contextual studies scheme focusing on Contemporary Art. Students are encouraged to critically and visually analyse artist concepts. Artists studied include Anselm Kiefer, Jenny Saville, Gerhard Richter, Robert Rauschenberg and Cindy Sherman amongst others.
In Year 13, students are encouraged to reflect upon their experiences at AS Level to negotiate their own project. Tutorials provide students with the opportunity to discuss potential concepts and review the strengths and weaknesses of the AS portfolio of work. Exemplar projects include: movement and light, war, text and image, beauty and the female form.
Career pathways - Take the next step towards your desired career
What can you do with Art and Design?
- Fashion Design
- Interior design
- Architecture
- Illustration
- Teaching
- Gallery or museum curator
- Photography
- Jewellery Design
- Artist, Sculptor, Craftsperson
- Animation
- Games Design
- Product Design
Art and Design syllabus